The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-03
TIE GREAT MUTINY.

Tasmania rs n penal colony was caDln
boy on the Australian packet Queen Bess.
In those days every packet to Australia
was crowded with emigrants, soldiers and
Adventures, and on this occasion our
passenger list had great many Of the
latter. There seemed 20 be a regular
hegira Of bad men from Liverpool and
London about that date, and I'll venture
20 say we had fifty aboard who had no re
spect for the laws Of the land or the high
seas They were fighting among them
selves before we were out Of sight Of land,
and heard the captain saying 10 the first
mate that the handouts and shackles
should he made ready and the brig over
hauled, for II was likely that some Of the
gentry must soon be taken care Of. The
brig is the lookup on board of n ship, and
in those days every packet had one pro
vided. and on long voyages the brigs were
much used.
was 10 years old the day We left Liv-
erpool, and had already made one voyage
TO Australia and return with Capt. Elem
ming While we carried three cabin boys,
| was engaged 20 wait on the captain alone.
He was very kind and fatherly 10 me from
the first day set foot on ms ship, and !
had much pleasanter lot than usually
falls 10 the boy who takes 20 the sea for q
living ! don't say that was any keener
than the average boy Of my agc, but some
how when came 10 look over our crowd
as we were about ready 20 sail. / saw
trouble ahead Two or three trifng Incl
dents helped me to make mp my mind to
this Most Of the sailors who bad been
the other voyage had reshipped for this one.
There was one whom | positively hated
tall, evil eyed hang dog tcll0w-aud on
the night before sailing, as ] was doing an
errand for the first mate, Mr. Cotton, at %
public house near the dock, ! saw this
sailor and two evil looking landsmen in
close conversation over their ale. ii so
happened that / stood near them while
waiting, and / heard one OF the men adj
dress the sailor with
"Now Bill IL is all understood. 80
ayes
IF they come aboard we are tohelp 'em
take the ship
ave are. ~
"The women and children and such
others as don't care to join us are 20 be
landed somewhere, and then for a free and
easy life"
THAT'S the talk, mate" exclaimed
Bill
And it is to be an even divide Of cash
all around'" put in the second landsmau
at is. We shall have 10 have officers,
OF course, but one man will be as good as
another, and IL shall be share aud share
alike
And how many men have you sound
eds"
Bill spread his great, beiry hand on the
table and counted OIL on his fingers:
"There's Jack-and Tom-and Robbins
and Whistler-and-but I guess that s.
all It's too early YET When you want a
man for desperate work don't give him too
long to think Of it.
At this point l was called away, and
when | returned TO the ship | went di-
rectly 70 the captains cabin and related
oil heard Some sea captains in their
arrogance and conccit would have covered
me with contempt Capt. Flcmming
listened attentively until | had finished
and then he sent me 20 call Mr. Cotton
and Mr.. Johnson, the latter being the
second mate had TO repeat the CON
versation for their benefit.
what do you know about BIZ, the
sailor" asked the captain.
"IIe was i'm my watch on the voyage
homc,n answered the second mate, land
put him down for a vicious, mutinous
dog. Nothing but blow from beiay-
ing pin will help him along when he is
IN one Of his moods
Mr.. Cotton didn't take much stock in
my story He was one Of those opinion
ated men who never take kindly TO any
thing coming second hand. Mr.. Robin
son believed | had overheard all said,
but secuted the idea that there was any
plan against the ship. They were ordered
TO keep their eyes open in every direction
from the hour we sailed, and when they
had gone the captain turned 10 me with.
"Now, Albert, | am satisfied in my own
mind. from the character of some Of the
passengers going out with Us, that a plot
of some sort is Matching. You can come
and go without suspicion. Beginning to-
morrow, want you TO keep circulating
through the ship. Keep your eyes and ears
open day and night and you need do no
other work Whenever you hear or see
anything suspicious let me know"
Most Of the roughs and t0ughs came
aboard az the last hour They had lots Of
friends to take parting drink with, ana
four-llths OF them were the worse for
LIQUOR. | stood at the gangway and sized
each one up as they came aboard, and
wondered greatly that the officers didn't
seem 10 notice what n rough crowd they
were. The fact that nearly all Of them
seemed To know each other was in itself a
suspicious incident, at least TO my mind. l
noted also, that in the first hour Of sailing
many Of the toughs seemed TO be ac-
ouainted with round dozen Of our men
before the mast.
From the hour Of sailing was the ghost
OF the ship ! was engaged in q work
which into cstcd my whole nature, and |
was too excited TO sleep more than an hour
at time While had access TO every part
Of the ship, spent most Of my time either
with the sailors I'm the forecastlo or the
passengers in the steeragc. remembered
the faces Of the two men | had seen with
Bill in the public house, and realizing that
they would be ut the head Of any plot, |
hung around them like coast fever. We
had been out thirteen days before Ipicked
up single word, and by that time | had
almost III zee myself believe that had
brought the captain cock and bull story